VII A MOVE TO THE WEST AND BERING SEA 131 



yacht could carry, we dashed into a seething mass of great 

 white-capped rollers, over which the gallant little schooner 

 rose like a duck. The motion of the boat was awful, and 

 this, combined with flying scud and foam, made me feel 

 decidedly queer, and drove me below decks, followed by the 

 skipper's cheery remark, " I guess you don't feel particular 

 good " ; which was absolutely a true statement of the case. 

 Our course lay in a north-east direction, and we skirted along 

 the coast for many miles, making for a river where I was told 

 bears were swarming. The coast here has the most desolate 

 and uninteresting appearance. For miles and miles it follows 

 almost a straight line, and the land for many miles back 

 from the shore is flat, with numerous marshes, and absolutely 

 devoid of any form of timber, even lacking the alders which 

 abound along the Pacific coast on the opposite side of the 

 Peninsula. It is not until one reaches the foothills which run 

 down from the divide that enough wood can be found to 

 make a decent fire, and even on the seashore, driftwood, 

 which is plentiful along the Pacific coast, is here very scarce. 



Any one who intends to take a trip along this coast, and 

 desires to make any form of bread on the way, should go 

 provided with a light handy stove having an oven in it, as, 

 owing to the small quantity of wood procurable, it is impos- 

 sible to bake bread by any other means. 



In due course of time we arrived at our destination, and, 

 taking the schooner into the mouth of the river, we anchored. 

 Near this spot there was a small native settlement where 

 Mr. Barstow told me I could obtain a man who knew the 

 country, and also another bidarki to tow up the river. 

 Although it was late in the evening, I determined to find this 

 settlement, and accordingly bid adieu to Mr. Barstow with a 

 thousand thanks for his kindness and the services of his 



